After Gu Shouqian sank into the nightmare of pain and coldness, countless beauties with white lines passed before his eyes.
In the chaos, he still recognized that it was the embroidery style painted by Han Ximeng.
Those beauties, elegantly dressed, went and came back again, finally stopping at Dong Qichang's painting "Xiaoxiang White Clouds".
The scene of clouds and mountains shrouded in mist faded away.
I understand you, Gu Shouqian struggled to shout to the void world, Ximeng, only I understand you. Your acupuncture technique comes from the brushwork but is better than the brushwork. Your color is from the painting and is better than the painting. Even if you will The embroidery patterns of ladies with feathers are much higher than the patterns of literati’s landscape paintings, and I deeply agree with that.
But you look down on me and the teachers and friends I have become more and more. I am like the clouds in Dong Gong's paintings, and I am out of your sight.
Gu Shouqian was like a thread woven by both physical and mental pain, wrapping around his mouth and nose, suffocating him.
】
Until someone put up his shoulders and dragged him away from the abyss of death.
Sunset's hands, carrying the last trace of warmth, held his face.
When Gu Shouqian opened his eyes again, he saw the lady in the embroidery pattern drawn by his wife.
Only the cheeks were half covered.
Gu Shouqian stared at that half of the face, and his eyes that were distracted and then focused finally showed shock.
"Three, miss three?"
Seeing that her brother-in-law recognized her, Han Xiying hurriedly stepped back, lowered her head, clasped her hands together, and whispered "Mr. Gu" in a low voice.
Confined and unfamiliar.
Gu Shouqian looked from the angle of lying on his back and turned his head. His gaze fell on Han Xiying's hand which was illuminated by the oil lamp.
Her hands are no longer the fair and soft skin of a lady in the past, but are rough and dark, and her nails have no nails, only black mud and filth in the cracks of the nails.
Gu Shouqian stood up, and a few strands of thatch came out from under the sheet and stuck into the palm of his hand that was supporting the bed.
He jerked his hand and let out a hiss, then raised his eyes and looked around, clearly seeing this shabby room with mud walls, thatched roof, and a bed made of bricks.
A squatting man by the door stood up and faced here, but did not dare to step forward.
Han Xiying turned around and called him: "Come here and salute Mr. Gu."
"Oh!" the man responded.
He moved closer and bowed first, as if he felt it was inappropriate to look down at the noble young master. Then he squatted down again, as if he still felt it was inappropriate. Then his knees softened, and he knelt in front of the low plank bed and timidly said: "Little one, Du Bangtou, I have met the young master."
"Ah, you, don't kneel, don't kneel."
Gu Shouqian had never been in the habit of bossing around the servants at home or the outsiders, so he hurriedly raised his hand to signal the other party to get up.
The young man in trouble gradually regained his consciousness and remembered that after he boarded the boat, not long after the boat was sailing up Sijing, it encountered the boat of the three wealthy Shandong businessmen. The servants of the wealthy businessmen forcibly boarded the boat, beat him again, and threw him into the river.
Gu Shouqian stared at Han Xiying and the man: "Did you save me?"
Han Xiying nodded: "Laotou and I went to the river to dig some wild celery to eat. Unexpectedly, we saw the young master being robbed. On the shore, I shouted in Songjiang dialect to report to the official, and the gangsters rushed their boat away. Your boat boss Only then did I dare to work with Hammer to rescue you. Mr. Gu, how did you offend those bad guys?"
Gu Shouqian did not answer, but instead asked: "The boss of the ship asked you to carry me away?"
Han Xiying's look of fear returned: "It's you, Mr. Gu. When you were lost in the lake, you opened your mouth and called me A Ying. The captain of the boat thought that we were your servants. Although I don't know the reason why you were in danger today, I think that your dignity is important." , Fortunately, the boatman sounded like he had a Jiangbei accent. He had arrived in Songjiang not long ago, so he didn’t know anyone, so he didn’t recognize you. So Langtou and I took matters into our own hands and took you home first instead of letting the boatman take you back to Lu. Xiangyuan Gufu."
When Gu Shouqian heard the three words "Luxiangyuan", he suddenly returned to the past and the current situation, and realized that the wife and sister in front of him were the accomplices of Aunt Shen who lived in Luxiangyuan back then.
He was suddenly at a loss.
How could he be talking calmly to a criminal who participated in the murder of his wife?
Even if Han Xiying, the coercive accomplice, received a punishment similar to that of a man, he should have jumped out of bed and walked away at this moment.
Almost at the same time, Han Xiying knelt down, turned up her voice, and said in a trembling voice: "Second Young Master, I was extremely ignorant and stupid back then, and I did despicable things to my eldest sister. I deserve retribution for this sin. I, I have also received retribution. "
With a wide range of movements, she revealed the other half of her scarred face.
Gu Shouqian remembered that he had indeed heard last year that General Qiao Yiqiqiao was killed by Tatars in the north. But the Gu family and the Qiao family have never had any friendship, and because of Han Xiying, they will not come to express condolences. Han Ximeng seemed to have heard nothing about this matter, and Gu Shouqian did not dare to discuss Han Xiying's whereabouts even out of curiosity.
I just found out today that Han Xiying is alive.
But obviously, life is very embarrassing.
Han Xiying caught Gu Shouqian's eyes, and there was no instant anger from the past.
The eyes of the man in the past dream were falling on his cheeks marked by the fire.
Then she pointed at Du Bangtou and continued: "Second Young Master, when the Tatars attacked the military fort, I escaped. When I met Bangtou to rescue me, I followed him."
Gu Shouqian looked at Du Langtou, who looked aged and rough, and estimated that the man was probably in his thirties.
Although Qiao Yiqi is older, he is still a guerrilla general.
If Han Xiying hadn't committed adultery, how could a daughter of the Songjiang family and the legitimate daughter of the same family have ended up in her current situation?
Thinking that Du Langtou had finally gone down to the river to save him, Gu Shouqian handed over his hand and thanked him.
Du Bangtou waved his hands repeatedly: "Ah, the young master has broken the villain. Do you feel better, young master? If you don't think the villain is dirty, the villain will carry the young master on his back and walk towards the city. If there are sedans and horses, the young master will sit on them. I just ran with him until I saw the young master arriving at that...that...garden..."
"Lu Xiangyuan." Han Xiying said with a very gentle tone, and the look in Du Langtou's eyes showed no disdain.
Gu Shouqian said calmly: "We don't live there anymore."
"Oh..." Han Xiying only dared to utter one modal word in a measured manner, but she sneered in her heart. Of course I know you don't live there, but I will take care of that dead old woman who lives in Luxiang Garden.
And the bitch named Zheng.
There was another moment of silence, Gu Shouqian frowned, and finally asked Han Xiying, "Have you gone to see your second uncle?"
Han Xiying shook her head like a rattle: "I don't have the shame to go back. I only went to see my mother's grave. My second uncle and aunt repaired her grave very well, and also reserved a seat for my father. I don't know. My father is now preaching wherever he is, and he is in good health."
Du Langtou saw Han Xiying starting to wipe away her tears and sighed: "Master Gu, I am an old widower whose mother-in-law died. A Ying is willing to follow me and does not dislike me. It is a blessing from God. My hometown is Qingzhou, and the two of us are from Qingzhou. I originally wanted to open a big iron shop in Qingzhou, but there were a lot of refugees there, so Ah Ying said that she would be more familiar with Songjiang. Master, I know that Ah Ying had been sued by the Yamen. She was young at that time and was not sensible in Hutu. Sir, there are so many young masters, why don’t you resent her?”
Gu Shouqian held his head and stood up unsteadily, "If you don't talk about it, I'll give you a lift, Hammer."
"Why."
Du Langtou responded and carefully helped Gu Shouqian. When the two of them walked to the door, Han Xiying said quietly: "Second Young Master, please, don't tell my sister and Miss Zheng, Miss Zheng. Langtou and I just want to have a bite in Songjiang." meal."
Gu Shouqian waved his hand: "I know."
As he walked into the dark night, the cool breeze blew in his face and touched his forehead and shoulder blades, which seemed to relieve the burning pain in those places.
The half-wet robe made him shiver.
Du Bangtou apologized and said, "I feel wronged, young master. We are a small family and we really don't have decent clothes for the young master to change into."
Gu Shouqian was silent, but a strange feeling arose in his heart.
In such an unbearable situation, Han Xiying simply confessed to him instead of trying to ask for help, which actually made him feel compassionate.
Even though he immediately reflected on himself and repaid evil with kindness, why should he repay kindness with kindness? After all, after returning to Wenzhe Garden, he ordered the boy to come out and gave five taels of silver to Du Langtou who was squatting at the door.
